The inventive concept relate to non-volatile memory devices, and more particularly, to non-volatile memory devices capable of protecting a block of memory storing secure data (hereafter, “a secure data block”). The inventive concept is also related to methods of operating a non-volatile memory device capable of protecting a secure data block.
Semiconductor memory devices may be largely classified as volatile or non-volatile according to their operative nature. Data stored in volatile memory is lost in the absence of applied power. In contrast, non-volatile memory is able to retain stored data in the absence of applied power. As a result, many types of non-volatile semiconductor memory devices have become design mainstays in contemporary consumer electronics and digital logic platforms.
Non-volatile semiconductor memory devices include electrically erasable programmable read-only-memory (EEPROM). Since the constituent memory cells of EEPROM may be electrically erased and programmed, various types of EEPROM have proven to be particularly valuable in storing system programming data and/or auxiliary (or user-defined) data. Among EEPROM, the so-called NAND flash memory may be more densely integrated than NOR flash memory device.